Historical Fiction Online

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Anyone here a fan, as I am, of Guy Gavriel Kay or Jacqueline Carey? Their books are fantasy, though generally based on a recognizable but skewed period in our own history. Carey's books may be a bit much for some readers in terms of sexuality, but it fits within the world she's created. Oddly enough, they've both had books published in the last few months that are each set in altered historical Chinas and the surrounding lands -- "Under Heaven" by Kay and "Naamah's Curse" by Carey. Both quite a bit different from each other, but both very good.

Doug, I actually just started to read Jacqueline Carey, and am really enjoying her. I was initially a bit leery of picking up her books because of the sexuality themes, like you say, but it does fit into her world, and she does an amazing job of building that world. I've finished Kushiel's Dart and will definitely check out her other books.

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]Author of the Twilight of Avalon trilogy new book: Dark Moon of Avalon, coming Sept 14 from Simon &Schuster (Touchstone)[/COLOR]

I have enjoyed both authors. Have UnderHeaven in my TBR and have read most of his alt historicals. Also read the first book of Carey's Naamah trilogy. I really enjoyed her Kushiel books, but feel the original trilogy was her best. I also liked the SF novel she wrote with the female boxer (tiitle escapes me right now).

Funny someone should mention Guy Gavriel Kay on this forum! His Fionavar tapestry is one of the finest set of books I've ever read; they are some of the very few fantasy books that I have bothered keeping since I stopped reading the genre. His writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality which is rarely matched, and which often has the capacity to reduce me to tears. I've also read and greatly enjoyed some of his other books - A Song for Arbonne (title?) about medieval France, and The Lions of Al Rassan about Moorish Spain, and had seen that he had a new book out. Thanks for bringing it up - another one for Mt. TBR.

I'd not heard of Carey before, I'll have to look out for her books too.

Guy Gavriel Kay is perhaps my favourite Historical Fantasy writer, I appreciate his excellent blend of historial events and people then placing them in an imagined areana. I fear that he has ruined me for the more ordinary fantasy I used to read which I tend to find flat and colourless.
The three standouts are Song of Arbonne, Lions of Al-Rassan and the Sarantine books.
Of all his works I can recommend these as the most fitting for any historical fiction reader.

Hee, funny you should mention him now; I just finished the Mosaic books and loved them. They were recommended here by someone who knew I was interested in the Byzanntium time period. I was going to come on and ask what other books by him were good. I think you just answered my question